The Plot Thickens... We're Dating!

Our first picture together

     Clark took forever to ask me on our first date…Well it certainly felt like it. We met on a Tuesday, and he didn’t ask me out until Thursday at 6. Forever, right? He left a voicemail, and when I got it I was SO MAD! Because I had agreed to go on a blind date that night, and now I couldn’t go on a date with Clark! I called him back right away, and told him I was already busy that night. But then I told him I would love to hang out later that night, and told him I got off my date at 9:30. I still can’t believe I was so bold! But I did, and my poor blind date didn’t even stand a chance. I was way too excited for my date with Clark. As soon as I closed the door on my date, I called Clark and told him to come over! It was so fun, introducing him to my roommates. Right after introductions Brittany, my best friend, pulled me aside and told me that he was a keeper, and that I had better date him! (Such a good best friend! I obviously agreed).

At his Grandparent's House

      After chatting with my roommates for a while, Clark and I walked over to a nearby park (for you Provo residents we went to Joaquin Park) to play glow-in-the-dark Frisbee. I think we threw the Frisbee twice… maybe. We spent the whole time just chatting with each other! I still love just talking with Clark. He is so entertaining and captivating and I never wanted to stop talking to him. We shared so many funny stories and we found out we have so much in common. For example, we talked about how we love to harmonize to our favorite songs, I found out he likes country music, and that we had many similar childhood experiences. I loved getting to know him.

      During one point in our conversation I had all my weight on one leg, and I don’t know how he did it without me noticing, but Clark pushed my knee in so my weight shifted forward and it scared me so much! Because he was so stealthy I thought someone had come up behind me and kicked my knee in, and I’m pretty sure I grabbed onto him in fear! But it was a pretty smooth ice breaker on his part (Fellas: take notes, Clark is pretty smooth; Ladies: now tell me, did anyone think of the Hairspray song "I Can Hear the Bells"? I sure did! "and he knocked me off my feet, one little touch now my life's complete" - this is proof that musicals can totally exist in real life). Unfortunately it got too late to keep talking, so he walked me back home. But before he left, he invited me to watch the BYU football game with him. Of course my answer was yes!

 
Some favorite dates after that:
     On one of our first dates Clark and I went on a “hike” to Stewart Falls! I had never been to Stewart Falls before, and I had never even been up to Sundance, so the beauty amazed me! It is such a gorgeous hike, especially in the fall when the colors are changing. And the waterfall is beautiful! We had such a fun time talking on our hike, and enjoying all the fall colors. It was also one of the first times we spend a whole day together.



      For another date we went to this yummy hot chocolate/cupcake store (The Cocoa Bean) to get some tasty treats. Clark always teases me about that particular date because there was mistletoe in the store, and I refused to kiss him underneath it. I just am not a huge fan of kissing in public, but he still teases me about it, and it’s become a fun joke in our relationship. After enjoying delicious hot cocoa and cupcakes (P.S. - try their "Better than Whatever" cupcake. It's amazing!) we went to admire the Christmas lights at the Riverwoods.



      I also loved going country dancing with Clark. We went on a triple date with my roommates, and dressed up to go dance at the Provo Center. It was so much fun! I love to dance, and in PGY/Upstage (performing groups I did in elementary school through high school) my favorite thing to do was lifts. And Clark is great at doing lifts! We tried all sorts of fun flips, dips, and line dances. It was such a great evening. One thing that was so special, was they had a couple slow songs, and one of them was “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” by Lady Antebellum. During that slow song Clark and I both had an overwhelming realization that we were falling head over heels in love. When we first heard the song we both had no idea what song it was but we were dying to figure it out because we realized it would forever be "our song". Luckily I was living with a country music expert (shout out to Britt again) and she was able to figure out what the song was. All I gave her to work with was something about eyes, a girl and a guy were singing, and it was a slow country song... Yeah it was a miracle we were able to figure it out! (FUN FACT - Clark and I got engaged dancing to this song! Stay tuned for our engagement story!)

      Obviously Clark and I have gone on many other wonderful dates (like the time we played Kan Jam and almost broke my nose, or the time we went to a Kings Game and then met JIMMER!) but I can't possibly list them all. The gist is we had such a fun time getting to know each other and falling in love!